I don’t think MAC Cosmetics has left any stone unturned in marketing this product! All Beauty Influencers and Makeup Artists alike can’t stop talking about it. You have to give it to MAC for some very potent advertising due to which I was (for the lack of a more appropriate word) coerced into buying this highlighting cream, ambitiously named – Strobe Cream!

They have a few colour variations in this but I went for the original called – Pinklite  because that is the only one that they offer in the smaller sized package. I really do wish they would make a smaller size in other colours as well because I think the Goldlite variant will suit my colour better.

Buy Online: here

Cost: 1200 INR for 30 ml

Claims

Directions of Use

Ingredients

Water/Aqua/Eau, Dimethicone, Butylene Glycol, Cetyl Ricinoleate, Glyceryl Distearate, Trisiloxane, Glyceryl Stearate Se, Cholesterol, Steareth-10, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Cetyl Esters, Cetyl Alcohol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Morus Bombycis (Mulberry) Root Extract, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Fruit Extract, Ceramide Ng, Cyanocobalamin, Glycerin, Isohexadecane, Silica, Tin Oxide, Sucrose, Polysorbate 80, Acrylamide/Sodium Acryloyldimethyltaurate Copolymer, Xanthan Gum, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Linoleic Acid, Panthenol, Fragrance (Parfum), Disodium Edta, Edta, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Sulfite, [+/- Mica, Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Red 4 (Ci 14700)]

This cream comes packed in a plastic tube with a flip top cap. The size is definitely travel friendly (will be allowed in cabin luggage on airplanes) and I have been able to take this on many of my trips. The opening is designed well to regulate the flow.

The cream is of a thick consistency and is white in colour with pink micro pearls mixed within, which is the material that actually catches the light and reflects it.

My expectations from this product was a healthy luminous glow with a dewy finish and it didn’t quite meet it! The cream goes on sheer and gives a pretty nice pearlescent look immediately upon application. The effect is subtle and unlike the glittery powder highlighters. Unfortunately it doesn’t last at all!

My skin is not the very dry so it’s not like it is soaking all the cream right away so I am not sure why this isnt working for me. It looks great upon application but soon after one cannot make out anything! The effect lasts for barely 10 minutes.

The brand also claims that this can be put under the foundation but its not evident as is and with a layer of foundation above it the effect is absolutely lost. I have also tried building it up by using a lot more product which has helped ever so slightly but not something sustainable for a natural day look, let alone an actual makeup look for an event.

MAC: Strobe Cream | After blending – The effect is not as perceptible as advertised.

The brand calls this product a,

“moisturizer that boosts the look of dull skin and luminizes with iridescent particles.”

but unfortunately it is not a very hydrating moisturizer, nor does it provide any sustainable glow/ highlight to the skin.

Pros:

• The cream consistency makes it easy to apply to high points of the face.
• Not very glittery.

Cons:

• Very Expensive.
• Extremely poor staying capacity.
• Not very hydrating.
• Contains Fragrance.

Closing Thoughts

This might work in situations where folks are getting a photoshoot under studio light & makeup artist at hand but let’s be practical that does not sound like most of us! This wont work for anything else that requires the product to last even slightly longer. Unless I am doing something absolutely wrong I believe it is an over-priced, over-advertised & over-hyped cream which in all honesty I cannot recommend to anyone!

Let me know in the comments if I may have missed something or your opinions if you have used this before. Also join me on Instagram for more product-feedback and stories!